Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Band Name Costs New Pornographers a Gig in Michigan

Matador RecordsThe cover of “Together,” an album released earlier this year by the New Pornographers.

When the members of the New Pornographers chose their band name, they probably took it for granted that most listeners would understand they produced bouncy guitar- and synthesizer-driven indie rock for a living, and nothing more salacious than that. But the joke did not play well at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., which has canceled a planned concert by the New Pornographers on the basis of the group’s name, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

Calvin College, which describes itself on its Web site as a Christian liberal arts school, said in a statement that a performance by the New Pornographers scheduled for Oct. 15 was canceled because, “after weeks of discussion and consideration, the irony of the band’s name was impossible to explain to many.”

The statement continued, “The band’s name, to some, is mistakenly associated with pornography. Consequently, Calvin, to some, was mistakenly associated with pornography. Neither the college nor the band endorses pornography.”

Ken Heffner, a student activities director at Calvin College, told The Grand Rapids Press the cancellation was a “peaceful parting of ways” between the school and the band.

A press representative for the New Pornographers declined to comment further. But Carl Newman, a founding member and front man of the band, has said in interviews that the band’s name is derived from the Japanese movie “The Pornographers” (also known as “The Amorists”) and a song, also called “The Pornographers,” by his band mate Dan Bejar.